Once a fair and handsome seal-lord lay his foot upon the sand
For to woo the fisher?s daughter and to claim her marriage hand
I have come in from the ocean, I have come in from the sea
And I?ll not go to the waves, love, lest ye come along with me
verse 2
Lord, long have I loved you as a selkie on the foam
I would gladly go and wed ye and be lady of your home
But I cannot go in to ocean, I cannot go into the sea
I would drown beneath you waves love if I went along with thee
verse 3
Lady, long have I loved you: I would have you from my wife
I shall stay upon your shore land though it robs me of my life
I?ll never go back to the ocean, never go back to the sea
I shall stay one night beside you though it be the death of me
verse 4
Lord I cannot go and wed thee all to watch my lover die
Since I?ll not be left a widow I have a plan for us to try
Let us speak with my grandmother who?s ever dwelt beside the sea
She may know some trick or treasure that I may wed my fair selkie
Verse 5
So they?ve gone to her grandmother?s little cottage by the sea
To inquire how the maiden could be wed to her selkie
For the seal-lord?s watery kingdom?d surely rob her of her breath
But to stay on land past midnight, that would surely be his death
Verse 6
Lord I know not how to aid you, you may never live on shore
For your kind to live past dawning has never been seen before
But my mother had a seal coat that she buried ?neath a tree
For she told me any wearer would become a fair selkie
Verse 7
So they?ve journeyed farther inland though the seal-lord?s getting weak
And she?s shouldering a shovel to unearth that thing they seek
And at the rising of the full moon, underneath the elfin oak
She?s unearthed that very treasure of which her grandmother spoke
Verse 8
So just before the stroke of midnight they have made it back to sea
And she?s donned that magic seal-coat and become a maid selkie
Now they?ve gone into the ocean, hand in hand into the sea
She has gone along, a fair seal-bride for her selkie